Grain or seed separating device.



Patented Mar'. 25, |902.

i -w w" (Application filed Sept. 29, 1900.'

Tm: Nonms linens co.; Puu'murno., wAs

J. E. HILL & W. W. BRUWER GRAIN ORSEED SEPARATING DEVICE.

m.. Rf. a F .ri l Jl n u JY (N0 Mdel.)

wl. IM on UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IAMEs EDWARD HILL AND WILLIAM WALLACE EEOWEE, oE MEsEEvEY, IOWA.l

GRAIN OR SEED SEPARATING DEVICE.

y SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patentino. 696,336, dated March 25, 1902.

' IWI-:cation tied september 29,1900. serial no. 31,485. (No moda. 7^' i To @ZZ whom, it may concern: s

Beit known that we, JAMES EDWARD HILL and WILLIAM WALLACE BEOWER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Meservey, in the county of Cerro Gordo and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Grain or Seed Separating Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to agrain and seedy separating device adapted to be used as an attachment'togsnch machines as threshers and clover-hullers.

The purpose of the invention is to so constructthe separating device that a separating-cylinder is employed in connection with spring-risers secured to a vibrating or agitating grain-table, the cylinder being of lsuch character that it Will not clog and will causethe straw to move freely to the rearend of .the machine, while through the combined action of the cylinder and risers the grain is quickly and effectually shaken from the straw.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as Willbe hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the cylinder-shaft, showing the gear end of the cylinder in elevation and illustrating the,

grain-table and ariser in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a-longitudinal vertical section 'through the cylinder and a transverse section through the grain-table. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the separatingcylinder, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views showing the manner in which the risers are attached to the grain-table, and Fig. 6 is'a sectional view of a portion of the gear end of the separatingcylinder and averticalsection through the bearing for the cylinder-shaft at the gear end of the cylinder.

A represents the frame, in which a strawtable A is mounted to move with an agitating or vibratory motion, and said table may be of the usual construction and operated in the customary manner. Ashaft C is mounted in bearings B, carried by the frame and havingV extensions Which project inward through openings in the side boards of the frame, and said shaft is provided at one end with a driving-pulley 10. The shaft C also carries a cylinder D, located between the side Aboards of the frame,and the heads 11 and 12 of this cylinder are keyed or otherwise firmly 4'secured to the shaft C. Preferably eachhead is provided with an outwardly-extending marginal iange, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

lnthe furtherconstruction of the cylinder D shafts 16 extend from one head of the cylinder to the other and are journaled in said heads. Where the shafts 16 extend out 'through the head 12 of the cylinder D, gear- Wheels 17 are secured, las shown in Figs. 1 and 2,- and these gear-wheels'rare of equal diameter lto the diameter of a gear 13, loosely mounted upon the corresponding end portion of the main cylinder-shaft C,r and the gears 17 are provided with the same number of teeth as vthe gear13. The gearv 13 is held stationary,

preferably by providing said gear 13 with av hub 14, having recesses therein, as shown in Fig.^1, which recesses receive extensions 14ent from the bearings B adjacent to the'cylinderhead 12, as is4 clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The shafts 16 are shown as four in number, although their number mayA be varied', and each of said shafts is'provided with teeth 19, secured thereto in any suitable or approved manner. These teeth19 maybelgiven any desired inclination by turning the shafts 16, Which Ais accomplished through the medium of the aforesaid gears 17. When the shafts 16 have been suitably adjusted, said teeth are 'held in their yadjusted positionby; placing `gears 2O between the stationary gear 13 and the outer or shaft gears 17, andthe gears 2O are of suitable size to mesh equally with the stationary and the shaft gears. "Thus as the cylinder is revolved the gears 17 and 2O turn around the stationary gear 13, andthe teethcarrying shafts 16 are givenmotion.

The straw taken up and agitated by the cylinder D is dropped upon a series of risers E, which are located below andat the rear of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. l. These risers are arranged in a transverse row upon the graintable A and are carried by said table. Any

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desired number of risers E may be employed, and they are placed at suitable distances apart. These risers are made of spring mate-A rial, preferably stout wire of suitable gage, and each riser at its bottom portion has its upper surface concaved, as is particularly shown in Fig. 1, andthe free ends of the risers are tinted or corrugated to form a series of teeth 21, which teeth incline in direction of the rear of the machine or the delivery end of the riser, as is also shown in Fig. 1 These teeth 21 serve to jog the straw in a rearward direction and also tend to prevent the straw falling back on the body portions of the risers.

The forward ends of the risers are passed through a beam 22, which beam is attached to the sills of the grain-table A, and the forward ends of the risers are likewise passed through a metal plate 23, inserted in the bottom portion of the beam 22, whereby the beam is strengthened and the attachment of the risers to the table is rendered more secure. The forward ends of the risers E pass through the sills of the table or through the bed of the table, and at the forward extremity of each riser a nut 24 is provided, having bearing against the bottom of the table A', as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Where the body portion of a riser curves upward, the risers bear upon the inclined face 25 of a second rear beam 26, carried by the table A', as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This beam 26 is bolted to the table and is provided with a longitudinal recess 27 in its under face, and yokes or clips 28 are passed over the risers and into the beam 26, the inner ends of the yokes or clips extending in the slot or recess 27, at which point the clips or yokes are provided with nuts 29, as is particularly shown in Fig. 4.

It has been heretofore stated that the intermediate gears 2O hold the teeth or forks 19, carried by the shafts 16 of the cylinder D, in adjusted position. Therefore when the shafts 16 are to be turned so as to adjust the angle of the teeth or forks 19 the intermediate gears 2O must be removed from the head 12 of the cylinder. To this end the intermediate gears 2O are mounted to turn on pins 31, (shown in Fig. 3,) which are carried through the head 12, and at their inner ends are provided with suitable nuts 32.

By means of the gearing carried by the head 12 of the cylinder D the shafts 16, carrying the forks or teeth 19, revolve in such manner that the teeth or forks 19 at all times during the revolution of the said shafts will remain in their fixed or adjusted positions.

The specific operation of the risers in connection with the cylinder is that they cause the free passage of all straw to the rear of the machine without clogging, and the risers impart a vibrating motion to the web of straw as it leaves the cylinder, thus causing the threshed grain to part from the straw. As an especial feature it may be mentioned that since the risers are constructed of round steel rods and extend rearward to some distance while the web of straw is passing over them they act upon the straw with a double motion, having the motion of the straw-table and also the spring or vibration of the material of which the risers are constructed.

The speed at which the cylinder runs and the fact that it carries four or more sets of forks, each set of which passes a given point once during a revolution of the cylinder, produce a great reduction in volume of the straw presented to the cylinder. Presuming the web of straw delivered to the forks of the cylinder by the motion of the straw-table to be ten inches in thickness, the web would by being brought in contact with the cylinder be reduced at least six times less that volume, and, as before mentioned, the straw by being thrown by the cylinder upon the springrisers in a thin web, and through the motion imparted to the straw by the risers, an almost perfect separation is obtained. The forkcarrying shaft by remaining in a fixed position and the forks in said shaft always remainingin a downwardly-extending position render the wrapping of the straw or its tendency to a return movement practically an impossibility.

Through the employment of a rotary motion in a forked cylinder much better results are obtained than is possible when a crank motion is used.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a grain and seed separating device, a cylinder mounted to rotate, shafts mounted to turn in the said cylinder, independent driving mechanism for the cylinder and the shafts carried thereby, a vibratory grain-table, and a series of risers carried by said table, the said risers consisting of spring-rod material having their body portions curved downward and forward, the upper surface of the body being concaved and the free end portion of each riser being provided with a series of teeth, supports secured to said table, and fastening devices attached to one of the supports and engaging with the said risers, the forward end portions of the risers being carried through the forward support and through the table, as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES EDWARD HILL. VILLIAM WALLACE BROVVER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. SHAFFER, M. S. BRAGA.

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